Evolution of Style
by LobsterLobster
Summary: Everyone has an individual style that changes over time and can reflect something about their journey. From Padawan to Knight to General in the Clone Wars to desert hermit. Or from rescued slave to Knight to renegade warrior to Dark Lord.
1. Chapter 1 - Obi-Wan Kenobi

Summary: From Padawan apprentice to Jedi Knight to General in the Clone Wars to desert hermit, Obi-Wan Kenobi's style has evolved over the years.

Evolution of Style: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Part 1 – Knighting Ceremony

Obi-Wan Kenobi knelt in the center of the Council Chamber. The tall windows were shaded and the room was quiet except for the slow voice of Master Yoda, reciting the same words that Jedi had heard for thousands of years.

Then, with a snap-hiss, Yoda's green lightsaber burst to life. Obi-Wan bowed his head and felt the briefest flicker of bright heat as the saber burnt through the braid hanging behind his right ear. The long piece of hair, the last symbol of his apprenticeship, fell to the floor.

It was a rare honor to have Master Yoda perform his Knighting Ceremony and Obi-Wan held deep respect for Yoda, but in that moment all he felt was a cold ache tight in his chest. All he could see was the hilt of Qui-Gon's lightsaber clipped to his own belt.

It should have been Qui-Gon's saber cutting through his Padawan braid. It should have been Qui-Gon reciting the Code for him, congratulating him and offering him one last piece of advice to guide him into Knighthood.

"My friend…" Yoda's voice caused Obi-Wan to look up again, blinking back the heat prickling his eyes.

"Proud of you, Qui-Gon was. Told me, he did. Trapped in the past, you must not allow yourself to become. Focus instead on the present, on the future, you must. To your own Padawan, dedicate yourself now."

Obi-Wan let Yoda's words wash over him and settle into his heart. Of course, the ancient Jedi was right. It didn't do any good to get stuck in his sorrow, not when someone was counting on him.

"Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan said.

Then he did something he hadn't since Naboo. He was a Jedi Knight now, he had an important purpose and he was determined to follow that path he had set out on. So it was with pride and a renewed feeling of hope that Obi-Wan smiled as he bowed before the Grand Master of the Jedi, picked up his Padawan braid, and walked out of the circular chamber and into his future.

Part 2 – The Beard

Back in the Jedi Temple after their first wilderness survival training mission, the first thing Anakin Skywalker did was head straight for the mess hall.

More than once, Obi-Wan had worried that he was pushing Anakin too far, but the boy's eagerness and determination never faltered, no matter how physically demanding the task. They'd climbed mountains, crossed freezing rivers, scavenged and hunted for food. It was the sort of mission usually reserved for senior Padawans, but Obi-Wan had felt Anakin was up to the challenge.

The first thing Obi-Wan did upon returning home was head straight for the refresher.

He let out a sigh of relief as the warm water streamed over his body, washing away layers of mud and grime. His muscles were sore but it was a satisfying kind of ache. Feeling properly clean for the first time in weeks, he shut off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Obi-Wan used his hand to wipe condensation off the mirror and regarded his reflection. He had the beginning of a scruffy beard coming in. He reached for his shaving cream and razor sitting on the edge of the sink and paused, hand mid-air.

Snippets of conversations from the past few months, some directed at him but most overheard in passing, replayed in his mind.

"…awfully young to be a teacher, don't you think?"

"Kenobi's an excellent Jedi, nobody is arguing that. But teaching already?"

"…not that much older than his Padawan. An odd pair, those two…"

Obi-Wan turned his head to the side, looking at his reflection from different angles. He rubbed a hand over his chin. Then he went to find a clean set of robes, leaving the razor in its spot.

Part 3 – The Hair

Ever since the Battle of Genosis, Obi-Wan's time had been entirely consumed with tactical meetings and more Jedi Memorials than he cared to count. Anakin was finally back from escorting Senator Amidala home to Naboo and now he and Obi-Wan were getting ready to attend the Commissioning Ceremony for the Republic's newest warship.

The clone army was ready for combat and the Jedi were ready to assign officers to lead them, but the construction of enough ships to support a full scale war was taking more time. Word around the Temple was that today Master Plo Koon was going to be assigned to the newest ship. Obi-Wan expected to be given his own command any day.

The Chancellor would be overseeing the ceremony so everyone was expected to wear their most formal, or least battle-worn, robes. Obi-Wan adjusted his belt and stepped into the refresher to quickly check his appearance in the mirror.

It was strange. He looked the same as he had a few weeks ago, but somehow he felt years older. _The galaxy is changing quickly these days_ , he thought to himself.

His hair was getting long. It was starting to become a bother when it fell into his eyes during a fight. _Maybe Qui-Gon had the right idea_ , Obi-Wan thought, recalling his old Master's favored style. He used his hands to gather a section of hair into a bunch on the top of his head.

Anakin chose that exact moment to walk past the open doorway. He took one look and froze.

"Master. No." Anakin said with a pained grimace.

Obi-Wan dropped his hand, causing his hair to fall into his eyes, and shot his insubordinate apprentice a glare.

"Go and get ready," Obi-Wan ordered, "You're going to be late."

Anakin disappeared into his room with a sigh. He hated formal events. Obi-Wan smoothed his hair back behind his ears. The Commissioning Ceremony was quite a spectacle, with rows upon rows of armored clone troopers marching into the massive Republic Cruiser.

Early the next morning Obi-Wan made his way through the corridors and levels of the Jedi Temple until he found a room he had not visited for some time.

Obi-Wan sat down in an open swivel chair. The barber greeted him and asked, "What'll it be, sir?"

Obi-Wan ran his hands through his hair and attempted to put what he wanted into words, "Just make it…better."

The barber was accustomed to an unvarying routine of Padawan haircuts, so being given total discretion was a rare gift. The human Jedi broke into a huge grin and got to work.

Later, Obi-Wan found his apprentice in the mess hall. He set his breakfast tray down across from Anakin.

"You got a haircut," Anakin stated.

"Oh. Yes," Obi-Wan said and continued eating.

Master Luminara Unduli stopped by their table and greeted them both. She took in Obi-Wan's short hair.

"Kenobi, I see you've changed your look. It suits you," she said, giving Obi-Wan a small smile before continuing on her way.

Anakin blinked in near astonishment. Master Luminara, known for her impeccable style and unfaltering composure even in the midst of battle, rarely offered compliments. The Jedi in general rarely offered compliments.

As Anakin watched more and more Jedi, most of them female, stop by to comment favorably on Obi-Wan's haircut, to which his Master thanked them politely but appeared totally unfazed, Anakin was forced to reevaluate his understanding of the balance of the universe.

Anakin Skywalker, with his boyish good looks and confident swagger, was accustomed to being noticed by the opposite sex more often than not. As the morning wore on, however, he was forced to admit that maybe his Master was not as strict and boring as he'd long thought. It appeared that a good many people actually found Obi-Wan to be quite charming.

Anakin swallowed the last of his breakfast, thinking to himself, _The galaxy sure is changing quickly these days…_

Part 4 – Tatooine

Old Ben Kenobi preferred to get work done in the cool of the early morning before the twin suns chased each other across the sky and scorched the desert.

He sat at the worn kitchen table with a needle and thread, mending yet another tear in his old brown robe. His fingers pushed the needle through the fabric slowly. The stitches were tiny and precise.

When he had first arrived on Tatooine he'd briefly considered abandoning his Jedi robes, maybe burning them or burying them in the desert so nobody would ever discover his identity. Then he quickly realized that his customary light colored tunic and earth tone robe ideal for blending in, both with the locals and with the desert itself. As long as he kept his lightsaber hidden, he was easily mistaken for a moisture farmer. Or an eccentric but harmless old hermit.

Besides, after spending his entire life wearing the traditional robes, he wasn't inclined to abandon them now. There was so much that he'd let go of, that he'd left behind, but there were some things he still held on to as tightly as ever.

He ran through his exercises each morning to keep his body fit, sometimes adding in lightsaber forms that he'd mastered so many years ago but without igniting the blade. He took time to settle into the Force and mediate every evening, casting his thoughts into the past or, more often these days, into the future.

Obi-Wan finished the last stitch and tied off the thread. He had more chores to do before the heat of the day arrived and sapped his energy but he stayed at the table for a long moment, thinking.

Maybe tonight he would go visit the Lars homestead. If he got there before dusk he might catch sight of Luke. It had been too long.

Sometimes, during his periodic trips out to spy on young Skywalker, the glimpses he got of their tranquil family life made him think that maybe he should stay hidden for good. Maybe it was okay to let Luke live out his life as it was. Surrounded by people who loved him. Peaceful, far from the horrors of the Empire.

But the Force kept drawing him back. Something about the way Luke would stand at the edge of the farm and watch the suns set struck Obi-Wan as wistful, like the boy knew that there was more to his story than what he saw before him. Luke was strong in the Force, Obi-Wan could sense it in him even as an infant, and one day he would have questions that only Obi-Wan could answer.

So he would wait and he would be ready to meet the future, whatever it held.

A/N: I have some ideas for the next chapter already. I hope you liked this one. Please review!

Preview: Coming up next on Evolution of Style, we will feature perhaps the most iconic character in the 'verse.


	2. Chapter 2 - Anakin Skywalker

Evolution of Style - Anakin Skywalker

Part 1 – Padawan Style

"Please, Anakin, hold still!"

Anakin scrunched up his face and did his best to hold still but the buzz of the electric razor was so loud and close. His mom had only ever used a pair of small scissors to cut his hair.

" _Anakin_ ," Obi-Wan said in that tone adults use when they're trying very hard to keep their patience, "I promise I won't hurt you, but only as long as you stay still!"

"I'm trying!" Anakin protested. He closed his eyes and did his best not to flinch when the razor passed close to his ear.

"And there you go!" Obi-Wan brushed off Anakin's shoulders and stepped back to admire his handiwork.

Anakin hopped off the stool and ran into the refresher to look in the mirror. He had to stand on his toes to see properly. He ran a hand over his head, momentarily uncertain about how he felt. He almost didn't look like himself anymore, with the short spikey hair, one small braid sticking out from behind his ear, and the cream colored tunics, the first brand new clothes that he'd ever worn.

All of a sudden he missed the way his mom would cup his face and kiss his cheeks, saying "My beautiful boy" and he would pretend to be embarrassed but he would always hug her back, saying "I love you." Would she even recognize him anymore?

But then he caught sight of Obi-Wan leaning against the doorframe, watching him with a fond smile on his face.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Obi-Wan said, lightly brushing a hand over Anakin's head one more time to get rid of any stray hairs.

With the matching clothes and now the same haircut, well almost the same, since Obi-Wan was now missing his Padawan braid, Anakin thought that he could almost be Obi-Wan's son, or maybe his kid brother. That wouldn't be so bad.

Anakin turned his head left and right, trying to get used to his new appearance.

"Master…I think you missed a spot."

* * *

Part 2 – Knight Style

So many things had changed in the past few weeks. Anakin almost felt like he wasn't himself anymore. He was still getting used to his mechanical arm. And the wonder of his secret relationship with Padme. And other secrets that he kept close inside.

But then sometimes it felt like things were the same as they'd always been and they would never change. He sat in the mess hall, picking at the remains of his breakfast, as yet another Jedi stopped by to chat with Obi-Wan.

A small part of him wanted to break down and tell Obi-Wan everything, but he knew he couldn't. Obi-Wan would never understand. So he would keep his feelings hidden deep and everything would continue as it always had.

Anakin had to admit that Obi-Wan's new shorter hairstyle did suit him. Even if it did feel a little bit like he was flaunting his freedom.

Anakin sighed and rubbed a hand over his spikey hair, "Mine's getting a little long too. Maybe I'll get it cut tomorrow."

Obi-Wan looked up from his food, "No, don't bother."

"Master?" Anakin was confused.

"I'm going to recommend you for the Trials," Obi-Wan said, "You're more than ready and I think it will be good for you to take on more responsibility."

Anakin broke into his first genuine smile in what felt like ages.

"Thank you, Master," he said and, like many graduating Padawans before him, immediately resolved to never cut his hair again.

* * *

Part 3 – Wild Style

The only thing this planet has going for it, Anakin Skywalker decided grimly, is that it's not Tatooine.

Instead of endless reaches of dusty sand, this particular Force forsaken Outer Rim world was covered in endless reaches of slimy bogs. The air was heavy and hot. Walking almost felt like swimming, it was so humid.

Anakin grumbled and tried to push his hair back from his eyes for what must have been the hundredth time that morning while he waited for the miniature hologram of Master Windu to finally wind up their strategy meeting.

Finally the Master concluded, "I'll leave the rest to you. May the Force be with you," and the holo evaporated.

Obi-Wan noticed Anakin once again try to push his hair back. He smirked, "Your hair seems to have taken on a life of its own, my young friend."

Anakin glared in response but Obi-Wan was right. His usual look of slightly tousled waves had transformed into a frizzy, sweaty mess.

"You know, you could always cut it," Obi-Wan said, "It'd be much cooler."

" _NO_!" Anakin said with more force than was strictly necessary.

How could Obi-Wan even suggest such a thing?! Cut his hair off? Anakin was offended at the very idea.

He stalked off to go check on his troops, shaking his head in disbelief. Then pushing his hair out of his eyes again.

Even if it was uncomfortable, he didn't care. They wouldn't be on this world for long. Soon he would be back on Coruscant and he would be with Padme again. She had told him more than once that she preferred his hair a bit longer and sometimes, when they were falling asleep together, she would absently run her fingers through his hair, whispering her dreams to him.

So he had no intention of cutting it.

* * *

Part 4 – Imperial Style

Darth Vader navigated the new Imperial Shipyards with ease. His destination was the Design and Engineering labs. Hopefully this visit would not be as…disappointing as last time.

The former Chief Engineer had been terrified to give even the smallest piece of bad news, instead nearly tripping over himself to assure Vader that the work was going perfectly and everything was on schedule. When his promises came up empty, it had proven to be the end of his career. And his life.

Vader could only hope that the new Chief Engineer had learned from her predecessor's mistakes.

After a brief introduction, the Chief Engineer wisely decided to skip any other formalities and handed Vader a datapad.

"I've put together a list of potential improvements and modifications to the baseline TIE configuration, working off your initial requests."

Vader scrolled through the list as she talked.

"Now, there is one thing. I've run the simulations and I'm afraid there's no way to meet the performance levels you want, not without a complete redesign of the power systems. We could do that, of course, but it would take time. Probably delay your prototype by months."

Vader looked up sharply, "That is not acceptable."

The engineer's confidence wavered for only a moment before she said, "I agree. Which is why I put the last item on the list. If we rebalance the power distribution between the shields, inertial dampers, and weapons, then we can fine tune the flight handling. That was your goal anyway, right?"

While Vader was not used to underlings offering him their opinion so lightly, he appreciated the woman's honesty. And her list appeared quite meticulous.

"Yes," he agreed, "These improvements will suffice for the first prototype."

"Is there anything else you would like to add, sir?"

Vader considered, letting the silence draw out, broken only by the hiss of his breathing apparatus.

"I want the color scheme to be all black. No markings."

"Of course, Lord Vader."

* * *

A/N: Any requests for a character you want to see next?


End file.
